Online bidding system with interactive voice recognition interface

Abstract

An online auction system comprising a preliminary bidding portion and a virtual auction portion is disclosed herein. The preliminary bidding portion allows bidders to access auction items and input bids during a preestablished period of time. This preliminary bidding portion may be conducted via computers connected to the internet or via telephones connected to the public telephone network. After the preliminary bidding portion concludes, the virtual auction portion allows bidders to input bids on each item in a manner similar to a conventional live auction. During the virtual auction portion, a countdown encourages further bidding before the previous bid becomes final. After each new bid is inputted, the countdown is reinitiated. An alert system notifies bidders that a particular item of interest is about to be offered for bid as part of the virtual auction portion. The system also provides bidders means for inputting proxy bids.

1 . An auction system, comprising: 
 a preliminary bidding component configured to offer for auction a plurality of items for a preestablished duration of time in a preliminary auction, the preliminary bidding component further configured to accept bids for the items from remote bidders during the preliminary auction; and    a dynamic real-time virtual auction component configured to execute after the preliminary auction, the dynamic real-time virtual auction component configured to offer for auction items that were offered for auction in the preliminary auction whereby an initial asking price on each item is based upon a bid for the item received during the preliminary auction, the dynamic real-time virtual auction component further configured to accept bids for the items from remote bidders and to automatically update the display to remote bidders as the dynamic real-time virtual auction proceeds.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary bidding component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders over a computer network.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary bidding component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders over a telephone network.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary bidding component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders using an interactive voice recognition component.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component is configured to dial a remote bidder's telephone number.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component is further configured to execute a dialog, receive input from the remote bidder, determine an interpretation of the input with a confidence level, and proceed with follow up dialogs based upon the confidence level.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein if the confidence level is high, the follow up dialogs are configured based upon the interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein if the confidence level is medium, the follow up dialogs are configured to prompt the remote bidder to confirm the interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein additional follow up dialogs are configured based upon the interpretation of the input if the remote bidder confirms the interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component is further configured, if the remote bidder fails to confirm the interpretation of the input, to determine a second interpretation of the input and prompt the remote bidder to confirm the second interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein additional follow up dialogs are configured based upon the second interpretation of the input if the remote bidder confirms the second interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component is further configured, if the remote bidder fails to confirm the second interpretation of the input, to execute an apology message and a dialog to prompt the remote bidder to re-enter the input.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein if the confidence level is low, the follow up dialogs are configured to prompt the remote bidder to re-enter the input.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preliminary bidding component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders over both a computer network and a telephone network.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders over a computer network.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders over a telephone network.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction component is configured to communicate with the remote bidders over both a computer network and a telephone network.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 1 ,  16 , or  17 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction component is additionally configured to track bids made by bidders present at a central physical location.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising buttons displayed on a screen used by a remote bidder during the dynamic real-time auction component, the buttons being configured to provide a selection of bids available to the remote bidder.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the buttons are configured to display bid amounts that are higher than a current high bid.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the bid amounts are configured to change upon a change in the current high bid.  
   
   
       22 . A method of conducting an auction, including the steps of: 
 offering preliminary bidding on items wherein a plurality of items are offered for auction for a preestablished time period in a preliminary auction;    accepting bids for the items from remote bidders during the preliminary auction;    offering a dynamic real-time virtual auction beginning after the preliminary auction wherein items offered for auction during the preliminary auction are offered for auction with an initial asking price for each item based upon a bid for the item received during the preliminary auction; and    accepting bids for the items from remote bidders during the dynamic real-time virtual auction and automatically updating the display to remote bidders as the dynamic real-time virtual auction proceeds.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the preliminary auction is conducted over a computer network.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the preliminary auction is conducted over a telephone network.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the preliminary auction accepts bid from remote bidders through an interactive voice recognition component.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component dials a remote bidder's telephone number, executes a dialog, receives input from the remote bidder, determines an interpretation of the input with a confidence level, and proceeds with additional dialogs based upon the confidence level.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the confidence level is high, and the additional dialogs are based upon the interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the confidence level is medium, and a first additional dialog prompts the remote bidder to confirm the interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein other additional dialogs are based upon the interpretation of the input if the remote bidder confirms the interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component, if the remote bidder fails to confirm the interpretation of the input, determines a second interpretation of the input and prompts the remote bidder to confirm the second interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein other additional dialogs are based upon the second interpretation of the input if the remote bidder confirms the second interpretation of the input.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the interactive voice recognition component, if the remote bidder fails to confirm the second interpretation of the input, executes an apology message and a dialog to prompt the remote bidder to re-enter the input.  
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the confidence level is low, and the additional dialogs prompt the remote bidder to re-enter the input.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the preliminary auction is conducted over a computer network and a telephone network.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction is conducted over a computer network.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction is conducted over a telephone network.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction is conducted over a computer network and a telephone network.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction is conducted over a computer network and in person.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the dynamic real-time auction is conducted over a computer network, a telephone network, and in person.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising displaying buttons on a screen of each remotely located bidder during the dynamic auction, the buttons providing a selection of bids available to the bidder.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the buttons display bid amounts which are higher than a current high bid.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the bid amounts change upon a change in the current high bid.  
   
   
       43 . An auction system, comprising: 
 a first component configured to run an auction including a preliminary bidding component configured to offer for auction a plurality of items for a preestablished duration of time in a preliminary auction and a dynamic real-time virtual auction component configured to execute after the preliminary auction; and    a second component connected to the first component and to a computer network, the second component configured to deliver web pages to a remote user over the computer network,    wherein the dynamic real-time virtual auction component is configured to offer for auction items that were offered for auction during the preliminary auction, and wherein an initial asking price for each item is based upon a bid for the item received during the preliminary auction, and wherein the second component is configured to update the display to remote bidders as the dynamic real-time virtual auction proceeds.    
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 43 , further comprising a third component connected to the first component and to a telephone network, the third component configured to deliver voice prompts to a remote user over the telephone network.  
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the initial asking price is set to be equal to a high bid for the item received during the preliminary auction.  
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the initial asking price is set to be less than a high bid for the item received during the preliminary auction.  
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the initial asking price is set to be greater than a high bid for the item received during the preliminary auction.  
   
   
       48 . A method of conducting an auction using a processor-based system, including the steps of: 
 displaying information regarding a plurality of items offered for auction during a preliminary auction lasting for a preestablished time period;    receiving input during the preliminary auction which corresponds to bids for the items;    conducting a dynamic real-time virtual auction beginning after the preliminary auction ends in which items offered for auction during the preliminary auction are offered for auction with an initial asking price set based upon a bid received during the preliminary auction;    receiving input during the dynamic real-time virtual auction which corresponds to bids for the items; and    updating the display to remote bidders as the dynamic real-time virtual auction proceeds.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising displaying buttons on a screen of each remotely located bidder during the dynamic real-time auction, the buttons being configured to provide a selection of bids available to the bidder.  
   
   
       50 - 62 . (canceled)